Wichita eagle., 1887-09-04
A WORD FOR MR.. LO.

The usually correct Globo-Democrat is
slightly off in its implied statement that
the Ute reservation or part of it lies within
the state of Colorado when it says that "the
time has come for the Utes to move on and
let Colorado be.possessed by white men. In
point of fact Colorado is now entirely
possessed by white men. The old reservation
did extend south into Colorado considera-
BILE distance, but by the terms of the treaty
made with them some years ago 1--WE dis
remember the exact date the boundary of
the reservation was changed to the north
ern line of the state and is now embraced
wholly In Utah. 1t seems that Colorow
and his tribe were laboring under mis-
appTe ehension of the terms of the treaty,
belle wing that it gave them the right to
hunt and fish on the old grounds, and it
was this that led the recent alleged out
break but more properly massacre
of number of the Indians
who were peacefully exercising what
they believed to be their rights. As to the
Globes further remark in the same con.
nection that "other tribes have been COM
PEELED thus to make way for the advancing
tide of civilization, and it is not reasonable
to believe that an exception will be made
in this case" We can only reply that had
the action of the whites of this country and
of the government towards the American
Indian been practiced towards the people
of another country it would have brought
forth a protest from the civilized nations of
the earth if not Intervention by force. We
all join In denunciation of the acts of usurp-
tion and outrage practiced against the enegro
of the south In depriving him of his politi-
cal and social rights. but the Indian, goad-
ed to desperation by the ceaseless encroach-
m ents upon his hunting ground and the
wholesale robbery of his personal property,
stri kes back in defense of these, as dear
to him as the possessions of the
white or colored men are
to them, we raise the cry of "exterminate
the red devils, and use such occurrences as
pretext to demand that they make way
for the advancing tide of civilization.
And just here we take occasion to remark
that if the actions of the white faces who
were the sole cause of the recent disgrace
full incident in Colorado were to be taken
as fair specimen of our boasted civiliza-
tion we could go to Colorow and his fol
lowers for instruction in that science with
profit.
But the edict has gone forth in popular
demand that the Indian must go, and go he
m ust, whether into extinction or into citi-
zenship 1t is perhaps for him to elect. If
it were necessary to cite precedents to aid
the Utes and other nations of semi civilized
Indians in deciding the wiser course to pur-
sue we would refer them to the history and
present status and condition of the tribes
that occupy the Indian Territory.
1t may not be out of place to say just
here that the acts of congress providing for
the allotment of lands In severalty to the |
Indians. is an encouraging augury of final
and more equitable settlement of the long
vexed question of what to do with the
Indian. Those who may survive for few
years longer the forays upon them such as
his last will act the better part of valor,
their peacefully settle down
upon their restricted domain and subject |
their wild nature to the civiliziDg processes
If American citizenship.